Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) EVP Bryant Yates Sells 19,516 Shares

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) EVP Bryant Yates sold 19,516 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.35, for a total transaction of $475,214.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 85,154 shares in the company, valued at $2,073,499.90. This trade represents a 18.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Stock Performance

NASDAQ:NATR opened at $23.99 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $420.06 million, a P/E ratio of 22.63 and a beta of 0.94. Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $11.01 and a fifty-two week high of $28.14. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.62.

Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.11. Nature’s Sunshine Products had a net margin of 4.07% and a return on equity of 14.36%. The firm had revenue of $123.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $121.62 million.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nature’s Sunshine Products

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NATR. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 44,803 shares of the company’s stock valued at $967,000 after buying an additional 736 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 1.4% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 54,008 shares of the company’s stock worth $799,000 after acquiring an additional 753 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 14,248 shares of the company’s stock worth $307,000 after acquiring an additional 1,199 shares during the period. CWM LLC increased its position in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 147.0% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,075 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,235 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio increased its position in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 4.2% during the third quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 35,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $545,000 after acquiring an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.40% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on Nature’s Sunshine Products from $22.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. DA Davidson boosted their price target on Nature’s Sunshine Products from $23.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $31.00.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Company Profile

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc is a global manufacturer and direct seller of nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, and personal care products. The company’s core business centers on research, development and distribution of vitamins, minerals, botanicals and essential oil-based formulations designed to support overall health and wellness. Operating under a network-marketing model, Nature’s Sunshine works through a network of independent distributors who promote and sell its product line directly to consumers.

The company’s product portfolio spans dietary supplements such as single-ingredient vitamins, proprietary herbal blends, sports nutrition formulas and weight-management solutions, along with skin and hair care items based on botanical extracts and essential oils.